Pace Athletics are performing well in winter sports, with wrestling, swimming and diving and both girls and boys basketball teams thriving. As seasons are approaching the finish line, teams are preparing for the state playoffs with passion and excitement to bring home a state title.
Boys Basketball:
The varsity boys basketball team has excelled this season and holds a solid record going into the playoffs with Sharman White as their head coach for the fourth year at Pace. “We have a very young team in comparison to last year, as we lost six seniors who have now graduated, but they have done a great job learning and understanding the team dynamics,” said Coach White.
The team has faced a difficult schedule against high-level classifications yet managed to become successful on the court. They had strong wins against 7A school East Coweta, number one ranked team in 3A Sandy Creek, and number one ranked team in 5A, Eagle’s Landing. “We have had some tremendous wins out of state as well against Lake Oswego High School out of Oregon and also against Trotwood in Ohio,” said Coach White.
As defending state champions from last year, the boys basketball team is eager to bring home another state title. “The season has been going great, and I am really looking forward to the playoffs and a chance at winning another state championship with my fellow teammates,” said Senior Josh Reed, who is committed to play basketball next year at the University of Cincinnati.
Girls Basketball:
As the playoffs approach, the varsity girls basketball team is ready to finish out their season strong. Christal Caldwell became the head coach of the girls varsity basketball team this year and previously coached at Virginia Tech for one year, West Virginia University for three, and at LaSalle University for two. “Coming as a new coach at the start of the season, we had a lot of new things to put in place. As the season has progressed, I have seen nothing but great things from these young ladies. They welcomed me with open arms, and we have been able to grow as a team and grow as individuals too,” said Coach Caldwell.
The team executed a win against Washington in the region tournament, winning 38-19, but faced a tough loss against the number one ranked team in their region: Columbia High School with a score of 32-34. The playoffs are approaching, and the team is working hard to prepare for the tournament. “We have done a really great job executing on the court while also building a strong team bond off the court which is important to creating a sense of unity on a team,” said Junior Cele Camp.
Wrestling:
The wrestling team is energized for the state tournament in the following weeks and is pleased with their overall performance during the season. “The team has done really well with adjusting to covid protocols and meshing with new wrestlers, and I think as a team we can place top 5-6 in the state, and we have some high-ranked individual players like Same Howe, Henry Leusink, and Ben Schiffer,” said Sophomore Joe Shippen.
The wrestling team walked away with a split at Haralson County High School, winning against Union County but facing a tough loss to Haralson County. Senior Sam Howe at Haralson County gained the title of most wins for a Pace Academy wrestler in history, an outstanding accomplishment. Howe has great expectations for the state meet and believes his team will make it far in the playoffs. “Our team made top 16 which has never been done before as a school, and it really exciting to see our team improve from the beginning of the year,” said Howe.
Swimming and Diving:
Swimming and Diving have had a busy season competing against almost 30 different schools combined in the three invitationals they participated in. Every team Pace faces bring good competition and head-to-head battles that challenge each swimmer. “It has been a great season breaking a couple of school records along the way and setting many personal best times throughout the season that have kept the team hungry and pushing each other to get better,” said head coach John Ague.
Junior Carter Freudenstein has broken a few records himself in the pool. “I broke the 200 IM pool record, tied the 100 fly pool record, and with the help of Barrett Hight, Sam Brooks, and Lane Canova, broke the 4×100 freestyle relay,” said Freudenstein.
The team has a maximum of 10 meets with whom they have competed against Whitfield, Pope, and Holy Innocent’s ending in two victories for senior night. The team is determined to win a state title this year and feels confident they will do so. “Both of our boy and girls swimmers are performing great. The boy swimmers scored well in the state meet last year by placing fifth place, so we have really high hopes and expectations,” said Ague.